MAN + NATURE SYMBIOSIS : JUNIOR COLLEGE IN THE FOREST - LEARNING IN AND FROM NATURE

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the ecology of Singapore, specifically the problem of dwindling biodiversity due to the invasive presence of man. Singapore’s green policies, from the “Garden City” plan in the 1960s to the “City in a Garden” vision, have transformed the city-state into what it is today. The key drivers to achieving this vision is to increase the amount of greenery, conserving our natural heritage and involving the community. Despite the increased vegetation cover, it was not sufficient to prevent loss of biodiversity. In the pass 30 years of development, ranking Singapore as having one of the greatest proportional environmental impact in the world. Thus there is a need to establishing the relationship between the natural and man-made environments and to negotiate an approach to not only prevent further loss in biodiversity, but how to augment it through architecture. Through this architecture would serve as not only an interface for the symbiosis between man and nature, but also as a support system for both parties as well. The thesis investigates architecture as the interface that binds man and nature together, through the program of a junior college in Singapore, with emphasis placed on up close and personal, first-hand, outdoor education. This school doubles as a public traffic decanter and a node in the larger park connector network.